True Teamwork
by joy4957
Summary: Tony is targeted when working on a bombing case.
1. Chapter 1

**True Teamwork**

 **Chapter 1**

Tony stretched with a groan and rubbed his eyes wearily, noting the time was almost 2300 hours. With Kate on special assignment for the State Department, he and Gibbs were more overworked than usual. The case they'd been working on for a few days had been difficult, and although they'd made some headway, there were still too many questions. Gibbs was in a growling mood, impatient for a quick resolution. He'd left the bullpen twenty minutes earlier in search of some fresh air and a caffeine fix.

Tony sighed and stared at the file in front of him yet again. He and Gibbs were working on a bombing case. Thanks to Abby's work at teasing a partial fingerprint from the scant forensic material they had, they'd already identified the key suspect, one Frank Redding, a Lieutenant stationed out of Norfolk who was currently AWOL. He'd bombed two sites frequented by military personnel, causing fortunately relatively minor damage but injuring six. Tony was trying to figure out his motive and possible next target before Redding could strike again. In reading the files, he learned that Redding apparently was disgruntled at having been passed over numerous times for promotion and had received disciplinary action a couple times for minor infractions. And in the past hour Tony thought he might just have connected something that would help resolve the case …

He glanced up as he heard the ding of the elevator arriving on the floor, the bell sounding louder than usual due to the quietness of the office at this late hour. Gibbs strode in, a large coffee cup in both hands. Tony returned his attention to the file to recheck his findings, giving a grateful smile when Gibbs wordlessly deposited a cup on his desk before heading to his own. Removing the lid and inhaling the fragrant scent of caffeine and hazelnut, he took a long sip before standing and moving over to Gibbs.

Gibbs looked at him expectantly, eyebrows arched. "Got something, DiNozzo?"

"Maybe, Boss. I was looking over Redding's file again and noticed something … may be nothing, but –"

"Just spit it out!" Gibbs snapped impatiently.

Tony flushed. "Right, Boss." He reached for the remote and the plasma flashed on, displaying the two bomb sites. Tony nodded towards the screen. "The first bomb was set off at the officer's club just inside the base. I went through the list of names of people who frequent it and it turns out that one of the regular customers is … " He paused, displaying the photo and bio of a fiftyish looking man with clear blue eyes and classic short naval haircut. "… Captain Arnold Stauffer. Has a usual table he sits at every Tuesday evening, which was the closest table to where the bomb was. However, he wasn't there that night because of an emergency late-night session with the Admiral."

Gibbs stared at him, eyes narrowing. "And that means something?"

"Yeah, I think so. See, two days later he was scheduled to address a group of new seamen recruits at the Norfolk Naval Yard at Portsmouth, but he missed that, having gotten a flat tire en route. It just happens that –"

"That's where the bomb was left in the trash can by the speaker's dais!"

Tony smiled, green eyes gleaming. "Right. Strange coincidence, don't you think?"

Gibbs frowned, but his icy blue eyes gleamed as well. "You know I don't believe in coincidences," he growled. "And how does this tie in to Redding?"

"It just so happens that Captain Stauffer was Redding's CO until May of this year, when he was reassigned. And guess who wrote poor performance reports on Redding and kiboshed his attempts at a promotion?" Tony grinned, handing the file to Gibbs.

"So you think …?"

"Well, it occurred to me that Redding might be choosing sites where he expected Captain Stauffer would be, and it was just his bad luck that he missed both times due to unforeseen circumstances. I think that Captain Stauffer is the target."

"It's possible, but a little thin."

"Yeah," Tony agreed, but he gave a self-satisfied smirk. "So I dug a little deeper and found that two weeks ago Captain Stauffer was admitted to the hospital briefly for a case of carbon monoxide poisoning. Preliminary conclusion is that it was due to a faulty heater in his house. While that's certainly possible, I got to thinking that maybe it wasn't actually an accident. I mean, the man may not know it, but he's had three potentially life threatening events in just the past couple weeks. So I'm having the investigative reports sent to Abby to have her work her magic. I figure she might find some other reason why this happened."

Gibbs glanced through the file. "Good job, Tony," he murmured, missing Tony's sudden beaming smile. "Now, do we know anything about Captain Stauffer's schedule in the next few days?"

Tony moved back to his desk and consulted a piece of paper. "As a matter of fact, we do. Turns out he's scheduled to attend a small military parade here in DC tomorrow morning at 1000 hours." He took a quick sip of coffee before adding, "I think it might be a good opportunity for Redding to try again. Stauffer would be pretty vulnerable out there."

Gibbs nodded. "Yeah, sounds like something Redding might not be able to resist." He arched a look at his weary Agent. "Okay, DiNozzo, go home and get a few hours of sack time. We'll need to be alert in the morning if we're going to catch this guy."

"On it, Boss," Tony grinned, locking his computer and hoisting his backpack onto his shoulder. "See you at 0600."

"Make it 0700. And don't be late!" Gibbs admonished gruffly, his lips twitching to suppress his own grin. Tony merely waved and headed out.

 **Chapter 2**

The next morning dawned clear and bright, a perfect day for a parade. Gibbs' eyes scanned the growing crowd appraisingly. The parade had just started and he was walking along one side of the street, with DiNozzo on the other. "Anything?" he growled into his mike.

"Not yet, Boss," came the answer in his ear. Tense minutes passed as they searched for Redding in the shifting sea of people. Suddenly Gibbs heard Tony shout, "Got him, Boss! He's near 21st Street. I'm almost – uh oh, he's made me. He's taking off. Damn, I think he's got a gun!"

Gibbs started pushing his way across the street, darting between two military bands, just catching sight of Tony in hot pursuit almost two blocks away. Just as he made the curb on the other side of the street, a big, overweight man stuffing a hot dog in his mouth, pushing to move forward for a better view, stepped in front of him and Gibbs crashed into him, landing on the ground. With a curse of impatience and ignoring the man's angry shout, Gibbs immediately sprang up and started running, trying to thread his way through the crowd, then stopped. He'd lost sight of Tony and had no idea what side street he may have turned on. "DiNozzo!" he called into the mike roughly. "DiNozzo, answer!" But the only answer was a frightening silence. With another curse he whipped out his cell phone and speed dialed Abby.

"Hello, you've reached the magical world of—" Abby began cheerfully.

"Abbs, I need you to track Tony's cell and give me his location – NOW!" Gibbs demanded urgently.

"Gibbs, what—"

"Abby, I need Tony's location!"

"You know, Gibbs, I can talk and work at the same time …" Abby paused, then said, "He's not very far from you, less than three blocks, heading north. Go down L Street to 23rd and turn right, he's … oh, wait, looks like he's stopped. He should be a couple hundred feet down that street."

"Got it. Let me know if he moves," Gibbs said tersely, snapping his phone shut and racing down the street. He hoped Tony's lack of movement meant he had caught up with and detained Redding, not the he was injured or … no, Tony was fine. Gibbs wouldn't go down that dark path. He merely pressed harder to get to the scene.

 **Chapter 3**

"NCIS! Stop or I'll shoot, Redding!" Tony yelled, closing the distance between them. He followed as Redding disappeared briefly around the corner but as Tony entered the quiet side street he quickly decelerated at the sight in front of him. Strangely, Redding had stopped, and was simply standing next to a black sedan parked in an otherwise empty and overgrown parking lot to the left. The car's trunk was open and at a quick glance Tony could see a fairly large box that seemed to contain something electronic.

Tony approached slowly, nearing to just a few feet from the car, gun drawn. "Hands up, Redding. Now! It's over."

"Maybe, but not for me," Redding replied smoothly. He turned his right hand over and revealed a small remote control. He pressed a button and the electronic unit in the car trunk lit up.

Tony froze, staring down at the red lasers suddenly centered on his chest. He slowly looked up, noticing the box in the car trunk had an impressive array of wires linked to what he guessed was a bomb, the lasers emanating ominously from it. Cautiously he dropped his arm holding the gun, knowing he wouldn't be able to shoot Redding, who had shifted away from the car, without moving out of range of the lasers.

Redding gave a laugh, his eyes gleaming maliciously. "The lasers will detonate the bomb if they lose contact with you. I'd suggest you don't move, unless you want to become part of the scenery." He paused, hearing the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps. "Well, I guess I'll be on my way. Have a good day!" Tony watched helplessly as he ran off, disappearing from sight.

He saw Gibbs appear at the end of the street and come racing up to him, and Tony shouted frantically, "Stop! Don't come any closer!"

Gibbs came to an abrupt halt, icy blue eyes widening at the sight of the red lasers focused on DiNozzo. "Okay, Tony, don't move," he said quickly, pulling out his phone to call the bomb squad.

Tony nodded, wetting his suddenly dry lips. "Not moving, Boss."

 **Chapter 4**

Within ten minutes the bomb squad had arrived. Gibbs was glad to see Tom Cropwell as lead. He had worked with him through various tense situations in the past and knew he could trust him. He quickly explained the situation to Tom, then moved back to Tony's side to offer tacit support. Gearing up, Cropwell edged carefully towards the car trunk, calling out to Tony, "Hey, just hang in there. We'll diffuse this and get you all set shortly."

Tony managed a weak smile. "Yeah, I'll just stay here. I don't have anywhere else to be right now." Funny how his legs suddenly felt like lead. _Keeling over right now is not an option_ , he told himself sternly. _Let's not spray DiNozzo bits around the neighborhood._

 **Chapter 5**

Cropwell and another member of his team closely examined the unit, gingerly checking wires and murmuring to each other in voices too low for Tony to hear what they said. He took a shuddering breath as he nervously waited, striving to keep his trembling legs from buckling. Gibbs still stood quietly close by, his solid presence offering Tony some desperately needed comfort.

Suddenly some lights on the bomb unit started flashing, and a red countdown clock abruptly appeared. Tony started with a sharp gasp, eyes widening, but managed to catch himself from moving too much. Alarmingly, the clock was counting down from 10 minutes.

"Shit!" Cropwell exclaimed, bent warily over the box.

"What's happening?" Gibbs demanded tensely.

"Guy was clever. It doesn't just have a motion sensor that will detonate if you move out of range, it apparently has a timer, too. Guess he set the motion sensor for something like 20 minutes before the timer would start." Cropwell shook his head, eyes darting over the bomb assessingly. "It's a kind of fail-safe … don't disarm the bomb in time, and it will still go off, no matter how still you stand."

"But why …?" Tony asked.

Gibbs looked at him grimly. "My guess is Redding wanted whoever tripped the bomb to sweat it out standing still, thinking that he just had to keep from moving to prevent the bomb from going off, but then he added the timer to make the person really panic."

"Well, it's working," Tony said shakily. He looked at the timer, which now showed just over eight minutes. Inhaling deeply to try to slow his rapid breathing, he asked Cropwell, "Any chance you can disarm this before the big finale?"

"I'm working on it," Cropwell muttered, standing up and walking over to consult with another expert.

 **Chapter 6**

Five minutes on the timer. Tony shifted slightly, feeling the sweat rolling down his back. He knew it wasn't possible, but he could almost feel his chest getting warm from the menacing heat of the lasers. His heart was pounding furiously, and it was all he could do to hold his position. He looked at Gibbs bleakly. "Not quite the way I planned to go out," he murmured despondently.

Gibbs arched an eyebrow at him, shaking his head. "You're not going anywhere," he retorted calmly.

Tony looked at him, studying his stoic face. If Gibbs had any doubts about how this would turn out, he sure couldn't tell by his expression. Tony realized the only reason he hadn't yet fallen over was because this man was providing the quiet support he had always given him, support that Tony counted on more than anyone could know. Strength and support that Tony knew, without any doubt, he could rely on. That was a rarity in his world; he had no experience with that growing up in a cold and uncaring home environment. He was learning a lot from working with Gibbs, but one of the most important things was how to work as a team, knowing without question that he had backup in critical situations. Tony hoped that Gibbs felt as confident in Tony's ability to be on his six. He and Gibbs usually didn't say much about their relationship, but he thought they both understood their unique bond. Or maybe not … he should say something before it was too late. He owed Gibbs that. Tony moistened his dry lips. "Boss, if … if this doesn't turn out well, I want you to know –" he began.

"Save it for another time, when you really need it!" Gibbs interrupted quickly. More quietly, he added, "We'll get you through this. I'm not done with you yet, DiNozzo."

Tony gave a faint grin. "Still a work in progress, huh, Boss?" he joked weakly.

"A lot of work!" Gibbs returned with his own faint smile. "And I still owe you a head slap for taking off the way you did!"

"Looking forward to it, Boss." Tony just hoped he'd be around for a lot more head slaps …

 **Chapter 7**

The red numbers on the timer inexorably continued their countdown, signaling just under two minutes left. Tony eyed Gibbs, who still stood only a few feet away from him. He bit his lip, fear apparent in his green eyes. "Boss, I think maybe you should –" he began.

"No," Gibbs interrupted firmly, shaking his head, his eyes intent on his Very Special Agent. "Don't even think it. I'm not leaving."

"There's no reason to stay!" Tony cried desperately. "You can't help me! I don't want you killed too!"

Gibbs' lips tightened, his vivid blue eyes flashing. "There _is_ a reason to stay, DiNozzo. I've got your six. And we're in this together."

"But –"

"Tony," Gibbs said quietly. "This is not a debate. You'll be okay and I am staying." _Never leave a man behind_ , Gibbs thought, always the Marine. _Especially when it was Tony._

Their eyes met in silent communication. Tony swallowed hard, tears shining in his eyes, and gave the faintest of nods. Gibbs managed a brief smile to acknowledge it and turned back to Cropwell. "How are we doing?"

Cropwell frowned, still studying the bomb. "We think we understand the set up but are concerned about the wires. This guy is pretty wily, and we're not sure if he would deliberately switch the relays so we'd pull the wrong wire."

"You've got to do _something_ ; we're running out of time!" Gibbs looked at the countdown clock; less than one minute remained.

"Yeah, right." Cropwell pulled out his wire cutters and glanced at Gibbs. "You'd better get back behind the perimeter, just in case …"

"I'm staying," Gibbs said resolutely, looking at his Agent. "I want to be here when this comes out just fine."

Tony gave a sigh, his eyes locked on Gibbs, and stood just a little straighter, willing his quaking body to hold on for … another 12 seconds! Cropwell firmly clipped one of the wires and then decisively cut it, just as the timer turned to three seconds. A moment that seemed to extend forever – Gibbs was sure he didn't breathe at all – and then the timer froze, the lasers blinking out.

Tony stared in shock, looking down at his now laser-less chest with overwhelming relief, and gave a whoop. "Tom! You are the man!" he shouted.

Gibbs gave a grin and blew out a sigh of relief, still watching his Very Special Agent closely. The adrenalin rush that Tony had experienced was bound to crash … and just as Tony took a step his face suddenly paled, the smile fading, and he swayed dangerously as his knees buckled.

"Hey, now, I've got ya!" Gibbs quickly grabbed Tony as he fell limply. He carefully lowered him to the ground, calling for someone to bring some water. "It's okay. You made it!" he whispered to Tony, his hand warm on his neck as he gave it a gentle squeeze.

Tony stirred, his eyes slowly opening. " _We_ made it," he corrected with a wan smile. He sobered, his green eyes regarding Gibbs, noting the strain still evident on his face. "Thanks for staying with me, Boss," he said softly.

Gibbs' lips twitched. "Anytime, Tony. Anytime."


	2. What About Redding?

**What About Redding?**

Frank Redding was not a happy man. The very government he had sworn to serve and protect as a naval officer was now out to get him. And they didn't even appreciate his many efforts on behalf of the Navy. So what if he got in a few brawls and was caught cutting corners on some of his assignments and had openly challenged his superior officer on a couple occasions. _Superior officer_ , he snorted. Now that was a laugh. Stauffer was nowhere near the caliber of officer that Redding knew he himself would be. And that man had had the gall to write _him_ up? And recommend he be held back from promotion, telling him he would never be elevated beyond his current rank because he wasn't good enough? Redding had based his whole life on a career in the Navy, and now any aspirations he had were shot to hell. He felt his life slowly crumbling around him, but he was determined he wasn't going down alone. He'd show Stauffer …

Well, at least he'd tried, but Stauffer had been frustratingly elusive. He managed to escape the carbon monoxide poisoning as well as the two bombs. Damn him! Today he thought he'd had him – just shoot the guy in the open and disappear into the crowd. And yet that had been foiled by a damn NCIS cop! However, Redding had been prepared for the possibility of being followed when he planned his escape route, and it had worked beautifully. Now, as he stood in an alley only a few blocks away, he awaited the sweet sound of the bomb exploding. Earlier he'd heard the frantic activity of blaring sirens as a host of law enforcement vehicles arrived in the area, and he smiled. Good, there would be a big audience when the bomb went off. Too bad he couldn't get closer to see it, but he didn't want to be spotted by police. And while Stauffer had escaped this time, he'd just think of another way to get him. In the meantime, he'd get some satisfaction out of obliterating the stupid agent who had stopped him.

A few more minutes ticked by, and Redding frowned, looking at his watch. The bomb should have gone off by now. He cautiously headed back to the small apartment he was using as his temporary quarters, mind racing on what could have gone wrong. He flipped on the television as soon as he arrived, knowing the incident would be receiving news coverage. Sure enough, news teams had converged on the scene. And to his angry dismay, he learned that the bomb squad had successfully disarmed the bomb. As the news camera panned the area, in the background he could see the guy who had confronted him, who he thought he had sentenced to death, calmly talking to someone.

Cursing, Redding shut the television off, his eyes narrowing, his frustration and rage growing. Seems he had another target to take care of …


	3. Back at the Office

**Part III**

Gibbs and Tony finally returned to the bullpen mid-afternoon to find an anxious Abby and Ducky awaiting them. Abby threw herself at Tony, grabbing him in a tight hug. "Ton-ee! We were so scared!"

Meanwhile, Ducky was scanning Tony critically, looking for any damage. "Quite a harrowing experience, my dear boy, although it looks as though you have emerged unscathed."

Tony smiled at Ducky over Abby's head. "I'm fine, Ducky, thanks. Nothing like the threat of being blown up to make you appreciate everything – life, food, work –"

"You appreciating it enough to actually _do_ some work, DiNozzo?" Gibbs interrupted dryly, barely suppressing a smile.

"Uh, yeah, Boss," Tony said, carefully detaching from Abby and moving to his desk. Ducky gave him a gentle pat on the arm before heading back to Autopsy.

"Not nice, Gibbs, not nice," Abby said reprovingly with a pout. "But speaking of work, guess what I found?"

Gibbs gave her a hard stare and waited expectantly.

Abby continued on, ignoring the stare. "Well, I've been reviewing the reports that Tony had sent about the carbon monoxide incident at Captain Stauffer's home. I'm running a couple tests and Baby is not finished with all the results, but I think it looks hinky. And there's one really important thing I found, too, my Silver Fox."

Gibbs sighed. "And that is …?"

"A fingerprint!" Abby said triumphantly.

"A fingerprint?" Tony echoed. "How? And where?"

"Well, I figured that if someone was using the heater as a weapon and expected the person to die from carbon monoxide, they might get careless figuring that no one would run fingerprints since it would look like an accident. You know, the old heater just going, I mean this happens more than you'd like to believe and people should really check more often and get those CO detectors, which you can get almost anywhere, and it is so preventable if they just –"

"Abby!"

She blinked. "Oh, right. Anyway, there wasn't an actual police investigation on this incident since no one thought to look at it from a criminal aspect. So I asked the fire department that responded to Captain Stauffer's house if one of them could go back to reinspect the heater just to be safe, and I went with him. We managed to catch the Captain just as he was leaving this morning, so he let us in. Didn't stick around though – said he was running a little late and had a parade to get to."

"They let you do that?" Tony asked a little dazedly. "Just walk in the house and look around?"

Abby looked at him with a grin. "A little charm doesn't hurt, you know. They couldn't have been nicer. And I have to say, there are some fine looking guys in the fire depar-" she stopped at the Gibbs glare and then continued, "… Anyway, I dusted the heater for fingerprints. There were quite a few, and I ran them through the system."

"And?" Tony prompted, wondering if they'd finish this before midnight at this rate.

"And we have a winner! Lieutenant Frank Redding's right thumb and a partial forefinger print were on the release panel of the heater door. Must have done some tinkering in there."

"Got him!" Tony crowed. "Abby, you are the best. No doubt now that he's after Captain Stauffer, and we can get him on attempted murder just by the heater alone."

"IF we can find him," Gibbs reminded him as he reached for his phone. "On our way," Gibbs said into the phone a moment later, then he stood and gestured to Tony. "Morrow wants an update." He gave Abby a quick kiss on the forehead as he skirted around his desk. "Good work, Abbs. Put another Caf-Pow! on my tab."

 _ **NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS**_

A few hours later found Gibbs and Tony still at their desks, trying to figure out where Redding could be hiding. Tony suggested that maybe he would just give up after yet another failed attempt and leave the area, but Gibbs' gut was telling him the guy was too angry, too unbalanced at this point to just let it go. He could almost feel the simmering rage in Redding. He was way too dangerous to leave on the streets.

Tony rubbed his temples, trying to ease the throbbing headache that he knew was likely due to the emotionally draining day. He looked up to see Gibbs watching him with a slight frown. Drawing a deep breath, Tony refocused on the file in front of him, only to suddenly find Gibbs in front of his desk, his crystal blue eyes intent on his agent. "Hey, Boss," he offered hesitantly, wondering if he'd done something wrong.

"DiNozzo … go home. It's been a long day."

"But Redding –"

"… will wait until tomorrow," Gibbs finished firmly. "At this point you're beat. Get some rest and start fresh tomorrow."

Tony gave a grateful smile. "Thanks, Boss. But only if you're leaving now too."

Gibbs' lips twitched. "Trying to order me around, DiNozzo?"

"Not me, Boss! It's been a long day for you, too, though," Tony countered.

Gibbs regarded his exhausted agent, knowing that Tony would persist if he demurred. "I won't be far behind you," he responded. "Now go! And don't be late tomorrow!"

"On it, Boss!" Tony went to the garage, then paused as he dropped his backpack on the car seat. Knowing Gibbs, he'd be here a while yet, despite what he said. Locking his car again, Tony walked out, waving to the security guard, and headed over to the local coffee shop. Entering the nearly empty store, he smiled at the clerk. "Hey, Gina! Looking lovely as always!"

The pretty blond flashed him a dimpled grin. "Working late again, Tony?"

"Nah, not me, but the boss is in need of some caffeine. A large of his usual, please?"

A few minutes later he was heading out again … totally unaware of the man standing not far away, his face hidden behind a newspaper, watching him. The man entered the coffee shop, placing a bright smile on his face. As he ordered a small coffee, he said casually, "Hey, I thought I just saw an old friend of mine from college leaving here. Tall, good looking guy, name is …?"

Gina nodded. "Oh, you mean Tony DiNozzo?" 

"Yeah, that's him! Gee, I'd love to catch up with him. Any idea where he lives? I'd like to look him up and catch up on old times."

Gina wrinkled her nose in concentration. "Not really, but I think he mentioned one time that he lived just over the river in an apartment in Hillcrest Heights. Something like that."

"Great, thanks much. Keep the change," Redding said with a satisfied smile as he turned away.


	4. Things Are Heating Up

**Things are heating up**

After dropping off the coffee to Gibbs (who tried unsuccessfully to glare at him for returning to the office), Tony headed home after stopping to pick up a pizza, arriving at his apartment with a happy sigh. After quickly changing to comfortable jeans and a worn Ohio State sweatshirt, he settled contentedly in front of the television with the pizza and some beer. In a short time he was snoozing soundly on the sofa.

Downstairs, a lone, dark figure steathily entered the three-story building. At this hour, everything was quiet. Redding smiled in satisfaction, scanning the first floor. He slipped into the small laundry room. It would do. He reached into bag he carried and pulled out a large can of lighter fluid. Quickly he poured the fluid in two generous puddles on the floor, backing out of the room and back into the small lobby area. He shook the last of the fluid out of the can, then stood by the front door. He carefully lit a match, his dark eyes glittering in the flame. Tossing the match into the lobby, he smiled again at the instant whoosh of sound as the room immediately blazed with heat and light, fire hungrily reaching for everything in its rapidly spreading path. It wouldn't take long for it to consume the building. With a sigh of satisfaction he casually but swiftly headed down the block to his car.

A sudden thud awoke him, and Tony started with a grunt. With a grimace he realized he'd fallen asleep with a bottle of beer in his hand, and had dropped it. Fortunately there was little fluid left in the bottle. Tony picked up the bottle and threw it out in the kitchen recycling bin, then headed for the bathroom. As he headed back down the hall, he noticed it – it was subtle, but it was definitely there – a smoky, acrid smell. Quickly he checked around the apartment, but nothing seemed amiss. Cautiously he opened the front door, and was suddenly assailed by a hazy drift of smoke in the hallway.

He ran back in his apartment to grab his cell phone, then dashed back out, yelling, "Fire! Fire! Everybody out!" and began pounding on doors. As people started to pour out of their apartments, he quickly placed a 911 call, then grabbed the fire extinguisher at the end of the hall and pulled the fire alarm. As the shrill alarm sounded, he ushered stragglers towards the fire exit stairway, and then pushed his way up the stairs to reach the third level past frantic people who were on their way down. After ensuring that the floor was evacuated, he headed back downstairs, coughing in earnest now at the thickening smoke as he neared the first floor, hearing the crackle of nearby flames. Eyes tearing badly, he stumbled dizzily on the landing, his head pounding. With grim determination he hefted the fire extinguisher and started forward towards the red glow. Distantly he could hear the sirens of approaching fire trucks and police and prayed they'd get there in time …


	5. Assessing the Damage

Gibbs gave an irritated grunt as his cell phone shrilled, eying it with distaste as he debated on whether to answer it. He'd been relaxing working on his latest boat, the rhythmic sanding soothing him even as him mind still puzzled the case of the missing Frank Redding. With a sigh he flipped open the phone, answering gruffly, "Yeah, Gibbs!"

"Is this Leroy Jethro Gibbs?" a young female voice asked.

He frowned. "Yes. Who is this?"

"I am Maria Rodriguez, a nurse at St. Elizabeth's Hospital. I was asked to contact you about a …" there was a brief pause and a rustling of paper. "An Anthony DiNozzo?"

Gibbs drew his breath in sharply. "Yes, he's my agent. What happened? Is he okay?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Gibbs, I don't have much information at this time. I believe he's still in the treatment room being evaluated, but I can tell you that there was a fire at his apartment complex tonight, and that he asked that you be contacted."

"I'll be right there," replied Gibbs curtly, snapping the phone shut and already running up the stairs. Snatching up his car keys, he was on his way in moments, muttering, "Damn it, DiNozzo! Twice in one day. You'd better be okay!"

 _ **NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS**_

Gibbs roared into the Emergency Room and up to the front desk. "Where is Anthony DiNozzo?" he demanded breathlessly.

The nurse gave him a long look and consulted the computer screen on the desk. "Mr. DiNozzo is in Treatment Room 4 being evaluated at this time. You can take a seat –"

But Gibbs was off down the hall, ignoring the nurse's calls that he couldn't go back there, and he pushed open the door to the treatment room. He saw Tony sitting sideways on a gurney, an oxygen mask in his hand. He was grimy with soot, his hair disheveled, and there was a pristine white gauze bandage on his right arm. His shirt was unbuttoned and open. A doctor stood to the side, apparently just finishing up listening to his lungs. Tony's green eyes brightened when he saw his boss, and Gibbs blew out a sigh as he saw his agent was apparently uninjured.

The doctor looked up at Gibbs with mild surprise. "Sir, may I help you? You need to wait in the waiting area –"

Tony eyed Gibbs with relief. "I want him to stay, Doc," he rasped.

Gibbs gave a grim smile of satisfaction as the doctor shrugged. He looked over at his agent, noting his tired posture and reddened eyes. "Tony? You okay?"

"Yeah, Boss, I'm okay."

Gibbs looked to the doctor for confirmation, who nodded and said, "He's doing well. He has a minor burn on his arm, which we've cleaned and dressed, and some light smoke inhalation, but a little oxygen therapy has taken care of that." The doctor stuffed his stethoscope in his white lab coat and said to Tony, "You should be fine, but check back if you have any dizziness or difficulty breathing. Drink a lot of water and try to stay hydrated." He paused to rummage through a couple drawers, then handed Tony a small tube. "Keep the burn clean and covered for a couple days and apply this ointment several times a day. You can take aspirin for the headache. Any questions?"

Tony shook his head, so the doctor added, "Good. I'll send the nurse in shortly with your signed release."

As soon as the door closed behind the doctor, Gibbs turned to Tony, eying him searchingly. "Sure you're okay?"

Tony gave a tired grin. "Yeah, sure, Boss."

"What happened?"

Tony shook his head wearily and started buttoning his shirt. "Fire started on the first floor of my apartment complex in the laundry room. Obviously there is an investigation underway and it's too soon to really know anything, but early indications are that it was arson. The fire department found some possible ignition points and traces of what might be an accelerant around lobby and laundry room." He stopped, coughing for a moment, then continued hoarsely, "We're lucky no one was seriously injured."

Gibbs' eyes were dark with fury at the threat to his agent. "Arson? We should look into it."

"Well, I'm not sure the local authorities would agree. I mean, it is a civil matter, not one involving the navy."

"I don't like it," Gibbs stated flatly. "It's just a coincidence that you happen to live there? You know I don't believe –"

"—in coincidences," Tony finished. "Yeah, I know." He gave a smile that was interrupted by a prodigious yawn.

Gibbs regarded his exhausted agent, his eyes softening a little. "C'mon, DiNozzo, let's find your release papers and head home."

"Yeah," Tony mumbled, pushing himself off the gurney. "Gotta find a hotel; I can't get into my place right now."

Gibbs grabbed his elbow to steer him from walking into an IV stand. "You're coming home with me," he said firmly. It was a testament to Tony's exhaustion that he didn't object. In short order Tony was cleared at the hospital and they were in the car heading for Gibbs' house.

Gibbs glanced over at Tony and gave a fond smile. Tony was slumped in his car seat, his head resting on the window, sound asleep. The smile faded as he thought about how near a thing it had been that he could have lost Tony twice in less than 24 hours. He wanted him at his house not just because Tony's place was smoke damaged, but because his gut was screaming at him and he was uneasy to leave him alone at this time. Until he could ascertain if there was a direct threat to his agent, he'd stay close by his side.


	6. The Next Morning

Tony gave a contented sigh and rolled over in the bed. Sleepily opening his eyes, he was momentarily disoriented as he realized he was not in his bedroom. He bolted upright, eying his surroundings, then relaxed. Of course, he was at Gibbs' house in the guest bedroom.

He sat quietly for a moment, hazy memories of the night returning to him slowly. He thought he could remember stumbling upstairs, and Gibbs pushing him toward the bathroom, insisting that he take a quick, hot shower to remove the grime and smell of smoke. Tony dimly recalled barely being awake at this point, but he thought that Gibbs had carefully covered his burned arm to keep it dry during his shower. After his shower, taking the time only to pull on the sweatpants and USMC t-shirt that were left in the bathroom for him while he washed up, Tony sank into the soft, welcoming bed, not even sliding under the sheets, asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Sometime during the night Gibbs must have visited, for Tony awoke with the blankets tucked warmly around him.

He reluctantly pushed himself off the bed and stretched, suddenly reminded of last night's event as the burned skin under the bandage pulled uncomfortably and his arm howled in protest.

He glanced at the clock and his eyes widened. Almost 0900! He ran into the bathroom and took care of his daily routine, then returned to the bedroom. He noticed that his clothes had apparently been washed at some point and were thoughtfully laid out on the chair beside the bed, and he smiled, quickly getting dressed.

The rich scent of caffeine greeted him as he entered the sunny kitchen. Gibbs, seated at the table with a steaming cup of coffee in front of him, growled, "About time you got up."

Tony, in the process of reaching for a donut from the box on the table, stopped and looked guiltily at his host. "Sorry, Boss, I didn't mean to –"

"Relax, DiNozzo," Gibbs interrupted with a barely concealed grin. "It was a long day yesterday and you needed the sleep." His blue eyes swept appraisingly over his agent, apparently satisfied with what he saw. He pushed a cup of already prepared hazelnut coffee at him.

"Thanks." Tony sat quietly for a few moments, swallowing a few mouthfuls of donut before saying, "Boss? Do you think the fire at my place is related to the Redding case?"

Gibbs sighed. "Don't know, but I think it's possible. You did stop him from killing Stauffer, and he can't be too happy to have missed on his fourth attempt. He's desperate, angry and frustrated – that's a bad combination." He thought darkly _, If he_ _did_ _set that fire, that's two times he's targeted you. He's not going to get another chance._ He drained the last of his coffee and arched an eyebrow at Tony expectantly. "When you're ready we'll head to the office and do some more digging."

Tony stuffed the remains of his third donut in his mouth eagerly. "On your six, Boss!" 


	7. A Few Steps Forward and Back

**A Few Steps Forward and Back**

Shortly after arriving at NCIS, Gibbs and Tony met with Captain Stauffer and his CO. After discussing the situation with them – and the man was clearly shocked at the various attempts on his life – it was agreed that he would immediately take an emergency leave and visit friends in Wisconsin for a couple weeks. The cover story was that he was given a temporary assignment in Texas; Gibbs hoped getting Stauffer out of the area would keep him safe until they had Redding in custody. In the meantime, they would also post undercover surveillance on Stauffer's house in case Redding showed up there again.

Tony checked in with the Fire Department. His apartment, while not burned, had sustained significant smoke damage, and the building would not be cleared for habitation for at least a few weeks. He would, however, be allowed to go back to his apartment to pick up some items. They informed him that the Red Cross would supply temporary shelter until he could move back in, but he decided to look for his own quarters until that time.

Just as he hung up he saw Gibbs stand and motion for him to follow. "Abby said she has something," he explained tersely.

Abby jumped up as they entered the lab, hugging Tony tightly. "Hey, mister, you have to stop all this nonsense! We can't even send you home before you get into trouble again!"

Tony laughed and tweaked one of her ponytails. "Not my fault, Abs! I was just –"

"So Abs, what have you got?" Gibbs interrupted abruptly.

Abby crinkled her nose at Gibbs before turning back to her keyboard and entering a few quick strokes, bringing up some closeups of the lobby of Tony's apartment building. "There's some evidence that an accelerant was used on the first floor. See this burn pattern? And the fact that there were several ignition points …"

"So it definitely was arson," Gibbs mused, frowning.

"'Fraid so, Gibbs," Abs replied. "But, I have some good news, too, Gibbs. I know who set it."

Tony stared at her in disbelief. "You do?"

Abby nodded happily. "Fortunately the arsonist was a little careless. He dropped the pack of matches he used to set the fire. Though the pack was a bit wet and mangled, I managed to get a clear thumb print."

"How did the matches not burn up too?" Tony wondered.

Abby shrugged. "They were found just outside the doorway. My guess is he didn't even know they fell out of his pocket. And we know the matches were dropped by the arsonist because I picked up some accelerant that must have gotten on his hands and then onto the match box." 

"Well, Abby? Whose print was it?" Gibbs asked impatiently.

She turned back to the keyboard, bringing up a familiar photo on the screen. "Frank Redding."

Tony paled and he and Gibbs looked at each other. Looked like they now had confirmation that Redding had sighted another target …

 _ **NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS**_

The next couple hours were spent in a long but fruitless effort to locate Redding. Tony, busy at his desk, didn't even hear Gibbs' cell phone ring, but he looked up when he heard a heartfelt "Shit!" and saw his boss toss his cell angrily on his desk, his blue eyes stormy.

"What's up?" Tony asked, slightly alarmed.

Gibbs gave him a grim look. "Just heard from the surveillance team that Redding apparently visited Stauffer's house again today."

Tony's eyes widened. "What? Did they get him?"

"Nope. Seems a man answering Redding's description stopped by a neighbor's house a half hour ago and asked where Stauffer was, saying he was a cousin who was unexpectedly in town and thought he'd drop by to say hi. Neighbor told him he didn't know but he had seen him leaving with a suitcase in the morning and assumed he was going out of town."

Tony ran a hand through his hair. "Dammit, so close! Why didn't the team stop him?"

Gibbs shook his head in frustration. "Seems one of the agents had left to grab some coffee and the other one was distracted by another neighbor who stopped by the car and questioned why they had been sitting there in their car for so long. He only caught a glimpse of Redding, and by the time he realized who it was, he had disappeared. Looks like he'd parked a block away. They didn't even get a partial plate or a description of his vehicle."

Tony swallowed. He had a feeling the two agents would not get a warm reception when they returned to the office, and he was glad he wasn't one of the people to screw up and have to face an angry Gibbs.

 _ **NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS**_

Redding prowled his small apartment agitatedly. Damn, damn, damn! He couldn't locate Stauffer or a schedule for him and, based on what his neighbor said, it appeared he was out of town. He hadn't wanted to take the chance of exposing himself by talking with the neighbor, but he was getting increasingly impatient to finish this whole thing. Now there had to be more waiting until he could get his revenge. In the meantime, though, he could concentrate on dealing with the meddlesome, interfering NCIS agent. He thought for sure the fire would have done the trick, but once again he was frustrated.

Obviously bombs and fire were not going to work. He needed a more hands-on, sure fire way of getting rid of his problem. And his growing rage demanded a more satisfying ending … something personal, something hands on. Ensuring his prey suffered before he died, and being able to watch the final moments. Yeah, that would do it.

Redding smiled in satisfaction. Time to stake out NCIS and learn where Agent DiNozzo was …


	8. Getting Closer

**Getting Closer**

Back in the bullpen, Gibbs dropped into his chair, frowning. "He's getting more reckless and dangerous. We have to find Redding, fast."

"Uh, yeah, Boss, I get that," Tony replied dryly. "I'm just as eager as anyone to do that. I owe him one for trying to turn me into a crispy critter."

Gibbs sent him a glacial look. "Until we get him, you don't go anywhere without accompaniment, DiNozzo," he ordered.

"Not even the bathroom?" Tony asked archly.

Gibbs' eyes narrowed. "I mean it. Outside of this building you go nowhere without me or another agent. You try to slip off on your own and I'll be advertising for a new agent. Got it?"

Tony sighed. "Got it, Boss."

"Oh, and you'll be staying with me. With the smoke damage your apartment won't be ready for a while anyway. We'll stop by your place later to pick up some stuff you'll need."

"Uh, that's okay, Boss, I don't want to impose," Tony said quickly. "I was just gonna find a local motel until –"

"DiNozzo! My place, end of discussion."

Tony opened his mouth to protest and Gibbs shot him a stern glare. "Great! I'd love to stay with you!" Tony acquiesced with false brightness. Inwardly he groaned. Geez, you'd never know he was a grown, capable man. Now he was going to have a slumber party with his boss because he needed to be babysat.

Gibbs stood and walked to Tony's desk. "Going to MTAC. No disappearing while I'm gone!"

"No disappearing, Boss. I'll just sit here and wait until someone can hold my hand to safely cross the street—"

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs growled warningly, giving Tony a not surprising head slap. "Knock it off! I'll be back by …" he glanced at the clock, "1500 and expect some progress by then. Get to work and find Redding!"

Tony stretched his long legs under his desk, leaning back on his chair, his hands folded across his stomach, his eyes closed. It might look to others like he was napping, but he was in fact concentrating hard, trying to marshal his thoughts into some coherent plan. Redding was probably hiding out nearby. Where would he be likely to go? He'd be keeping a low profile and was probably holed up in some small, nondescript place where nobody paid attention to comings and goings. Okay, so what were they missing? In this day and age, simply disappearing wasn't all that easy a thing to accomplish, especially in a big city where there were surveillance cameras and eyes everywhere that … A sudden thought occurred to him, and he sprang up from his chair and ran down to Abby's lab.

"Hey, Abs, I had an idea. Could you locate and tap into the traffic cameras near where the parade was held yesterday?"

"Sure, no problem." A few moments later a city map popped up on the plasma screen. "How narrow a field do you want?"

Tony peered at the image. "Well, I started chasing Redding near Pennsylvania Avenue and K Street –"

"Right!" Abby interrupted eagerly. "And I told Gibbs you were near 23rd and L Street when he called me to find you –"

"So look around there. We wound up only a block or so from there. I'm trying to see if we can follow where Redding went after he left me."

Ten minutes later they had narrowed the last known area that Redding had been based on several traffic camera sightings that captured his movements. They were able to track him getting onto a Metrobus and were lucky enough to then find footage of him getting off the bus in Georgetown. While they didn't have an actual address, they did have the general neighborhood and Tony was pleased that they could be a lot closer to finding him.

"Great! Gotta get back upstairs and let Gibbs know … it's –" he automatically looked down at his bare wrist and then sighed, peering at the clock on the far wall. "Almost 3:00 p.m."

"What happened to your watch?" Abby asked curiously.

"It's back in my apartment. I wasn't wearing it when the fire broke out."

"Aww." Abby patted his arm, her eyes suddenly gleaming. "Well, I happen to have one here you can wear until you get yours back." She pulled a plain but serviceable black watch out of a drawer.

Tony eyed her suspiciously. "And why would you have a man's watch just sitting around here?" he asked.

Abby looked at him innocently. "It's from a guy I know and he happened to leave it at my place by accident but I haven't seen him in a long time and it really doesn't do me any good just sitting around at home because I keep forgetting about it and I thought one day I'd bring it here in case I was talking to him and—"

"Never mind, Abs! I get the picture." Tony slipped the watch on. "Not really my style, but it will do for now. At least I'll know how late I am when Gibbs wants something." He gave her a hug. "Thanks."

"Happy to help!" Abby chirped with a wide, self-satisfied smile.

Tony returned to his desk, but Gibbs wasn't at his. Inquiries found he was meeting with Morrow, and Cyndi informed him that it could take an hour or longer. Restlessly, Tony drummed his fingers on his desk for a couple minutes, then smiled. He might was well get something useful done. No way was he going after Redding by himself – Gibbs would have his head – but he could get some things from his apartment so they wouldn't have to stop by there later.

He sent a quick e-mail to Gibbs. _"Boss, I've gone back to my apartment to pick up a few things. No worries, I'm bringing Agent Dawkins along to babysit me. Be back soon. And Abby and I have potentially identified the neighborhood where Redding might be! Give you the details when I return."_

Satisfied, Tony pulled on his jacket and motioned to Phil Dawkins to head out to the garage. Leaving the NCIS building, they never noticed the man slouched in a beat-up vehicle, binoculars trained on the exit, who casually followed them down the street …


	9. Redding Returns

**Redding Returns**

As they neared Tony's apartment building, they found parking very limited, with the area near the building blocked by barriers and police tape. Dawkins parked down the block from his apartment building, giving Tony a rueful grimace. "Sorry, I can't get any closer."

Tony shrugged. "No problem, I'm not going to be carrying much out anyway."

As Dawkins made a move to exit the car as well, his cell phone rang. Looking at Tony apologetically, he answered, apparently fielding a call from his wife.

Tony waited a moment, but not wanting to listen in on the private conversation, he climbed out of the car. When Dawkins looked up, prepared to hang up and join him, he held up his hand. "It's okay, Phil, I'll only be a few minutes. Finish your call."

Arriving at the apartment building, Tony got his first good look at the damage, which was impressive. The lobby area was blackened and still wet in some places, with charred debris scattered all over, although it looked like the Fire Department had done a good job of containing the damage to the first floor. He ducked under the yellow caution tape and headed up the stairwell. Entering his apartment, he noted with distaste the heavy smell of smoke and dampness on everything. Going to his bedroom, he pulled out a bag and quickly began sorting some clothes. Phew! They smelled awful. He'd have to wash them a few times before he could wear anything. Grabbing a few toiletries from the bathroom, he stuffed them in the bag as well. On his way out he eyed his stack of DVD movies mournfully … he hoped they hadn't been damaged.

He jogged lightly down the stairwell. As he emerged into the lobby, his sixth sense tingled warningly. Freezing, he started to cautiously scan the lobby when he was suddenly grabbed from behind, a strong arm locked around his throat, and he felt something hard prod his back. A low voice hissed in his ear, "Make one wrong move and you're dead. Now drop the bag and your gun and slowly, head for the door."

Redding! Tony tried to turn around but received a sharp jab of the gun in his back. As he carefully placed his bag on the floor and removed his gun, putting it on top of the bag, he taunted, "Returning to the scene of the crime, Redding?"

The arm around his neck tightened briefly before he was shoved forward. "Shut up and move."

Tony slowly made his way to the front door and opened it, his eyes darting around as he tried to calculate how he could escape or overpower Redding. He hoped that once they were on the street Agent Dawkins would pick up on what was happening.

Redding's hand jerked on the back of his coat. "See that woman and child across the street?" he asked harshly.

Tony looked over, noting a young woman and small boy standing in front of a store front. "Yeah," he said cautiously.

"Try anything and I will blow them both away," Redding warned. "You really want to be responsible for that?"

Tony shook his head. "No," he whispered.

"Good. Now keep moving. And I know you came with another agent but he's not going to help you. He's taking a nap right now."

Tony stiffened. "What the hell did you do to him?" he demanded.

"Nothing permanent. I don't care about him but couldn't have him interrupt our 'reunion.' C'mon, keep moving." Redding steered him around the corner to an old, rusty sedan. "Open the door," he ordered, indicating the passenger side.

Tony reached for the door and pulled it open. Suddenly there was an intense pain in the back of his head. He found himself falling forward onto the seat and then there was nothing but blackness.


	10. Where's Tony?

**Where's Tony?**

Gibbs looked up expectantly when he heard the elevator ding, then blew out a frustrated breath when he saw it wasn't DiNozzo stepping off the elevator. He stared again at Tony's empty desk, almost as if willing the young agent to appear. How long could it take him to pick up a few things? According to the e-mail he's sent, he had left almost 90 minutes ago. That was more than enough time to get there and back. He'd better not have talked Agent Dawkins into doing something more. Gibbs reached for his cell phone, prepared to call his wayward agent, when it rang in his hand. _About time_ , he thought dourly. "DiNozzo, where the hell are you?" he demanded impatiently.

"Uh, sorry, Agent Gibbs, this is Phil Dawkins," came the hesitant reply.

Gibbs frowned, immediately feeling his gut churn. "Agent Dawkins. What's going on?"

Dawkins nervously cleared his throat. "Sir, I came out to Agent DiNozzo's apartment with him to pick up a few items, and … well, I've lost him."

Gibbs surged to his feet, clutching the phone hard. "Lost him? What does that mean?" he asked in a lethally quiet voice, already heading for the garage. Not willing to wait for the elevator, he pelted down the stairwell.

"He … I … I got a phone call just as we arrived and he didn't want to wait so he went ahead to the apartment while I was still in the car. Someone managed to get behind me and knock me out as I was getting out of the car to join him. When I came to about five minutes later Agent DiNozzo still hadn't come back, so I went up to his apartment but he's nowhere to be found. I did find a bag of clothes in the lobby, though, and I know it's his because his initials are on it. And his gun was on top of the bag, too."

 _Dammit! Redding!_ Gibbs drew a deep breath. "Okay, Dawkins, keep looking around, and get a forensics team out there," he said tightly. "Let me know if you find anything."

He abruptly terminated the call and then redialed again quickly. "Abby, I need you to track Tony's phone, now!" Gibbs ordered urgently as he ran his car.

"Gibbs, what's wrong? Did something happen?" Abby asked anxiously.

"Redding got him. Abs, I need to find Tony now!"

A few seconds of silence, then Abby said, "I can't track his phone. I guess it's off. But I – "

"Dammit!" Gibbs thought frantically for a moment. "Abs, he mentioned you had narrowed where Redding might be. Maybe we can find him that way."

"Don't think so, Gibbs. We didn't get more than a general area, and there are hundreds of places he could be in that neighborhood. It could take a long time to locate them by canvasing the area. But you should know that – "

Gibbs swore and pounded the hood of his car. How was he going to find DiNozzo? They could be anywhere, and he knew time was critical with Tony in the hands of this madman. He had to find him fast, before … He suddenly became aware that Abby was still speaking, interrupting his dark thoughts.

"Gibbs, are you listening?"

Gibbs scowled at his cell phone. "What?"

"I said, I can still find him."

Gibbs paused, not sure he'd heard correctly. "How, Abs?"

"Well, because I kinda … well, you know how we're always losing him, and I thought – I mean, he doesn't know, because he would never allow it, but –" 

"ABBY!"

"Oh, right, sorry. I gave him a watch that just happens to have a GPS tracking dot in it."

Gibbs took a few seconds to absorb that, then demanded impatiently, "Well? Can you find him?" 

"Patience, Gibbs, patience! I'm pulling it up now. And – yes! They are about six miles from you, southwest of your position here, in Arlington. Looks like it's in the warehouse district."

Gibbs put the car in gear and gunned the motor. "Feed me the coordinates, Abby."

"On their way. Bring him back safe, Gibbs!" Abby pleaded.

"I will, Abs," he promised.

"And Gibbs …?"

"Yeah, good work, Abs. Two Caf-Pows! when I return to the office …"

"Only two?" she pouted.

Gibbs gave a grim smile. "Haven't found him yet."


	11. A Lethal Confrontation

**A Lethal Confrontation**

Tony woke slowly, grimacing at the pain in his head. As his awareness grew, he realized he was bound to a chair, his hands tied tightly behind him. He eyed his surroundings searchingly, realizing he was in what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse. He wondered how long he'd been out. As he started to flex his fingers, trying to loosen his bonds and break free, he received a harsh cuff on the side of his head. He winced at the blow to his already pounding head.

"You can't get loose, DiNozzo," Redding taunted, moving to stand in front of him. "You wouldn't want to miss all the fun."

"You won't get away with this, Redding," Tony warned.

Redding laughed harshly. "Oh, are you waiting for the cavalry to come save you? Well, it appears your phone had a little accident …" he held out Tony's cell, which was smashed and useless, and tossed it to the ground. "So they can't trace you through GPS. It's just going to be a private party for you and me."

Tony tried to squelch the thrill of fear that gnawed at him. "What the hell do you want?" he asked.

"I want you gone, but I want you to suffer first," Redding hissed, his eyes feral. "You're not going to die a slow death. You have to pay for interfering in my business." He tapped the butt of the gun that was shoved into his waistband. "This would be too fast, and I'm not going to make it that easy for you. You've helped ruin all my plans – you've ruined my life! So I figure it's my turn to mess with you."

Tony arched a cynical look at him. "You sure are one screwed up dude."

Redding drew back and punched Tony in the jaw, rocking his head back, then struck him hard twice in the stomach. Tony let out a sharp gasp but refused to give Redding the satisfaction of crying out. Redding grabbed him roughly by the hair, forcing his head back, and punched him in the face again, then stepped back. "I'm gonna take my time with you, make it as painful as possible. You are going to be one messed up corpse when I get through with you."

Tony squinted at him through a rapidly swelling eye. "Yeah, I've seen how effective a killer you are," he mocked. "You've had – what? – four attempts with Stauffer and two with me. Not very successful, are you? You really need to find another line of work." Tony knew Gibbs would head slap him from here to the moon if he heard how he was dangerously baiting this highly unstable and psychotic man, but he was trying to stall for time, waiting for Gibbs to make his grand entrance. Of course Gibbs would come – he always came.

Redding's eyes flashed in fury. "You're gonna regret that, DiNozzo. Don't forget who has the power here."

Tony winced as his head was rocked by another punch by Redding. His tongue carefully licked his stinging split lip and he tried not to swallow any blood. Head pounding, he struggled to focus his blurry eyes on him, rasping, "You're just a pathetic excuse of a human being who is trying to exert control you don't have."

Enraged, Redding pulled the gun from his waistband, jabbing it in Tony's chest. "Yeah? Well, you're not in a position to do anything right now, are you? So who has the power now? Who's in charge now?"

"I am." The quiet assertion behind him made Redding's eyes widen as he spun around and saw Gibbs step into view, his Sig pointed steadily at Redding. Without shifting his steely blue gaze, his focus still on Redding, Gibbs added, "DiNozzo, you okay?"

Tony grinned in relief. "Just peachy, Boss," he replied impudently, giving the best wink his rapidly swelling eye would allow. "Frank here, though, is on a bit of a power trip. He actually thinks he is gonna get away with this!"

"Shut up, pretty boy," Redding hissed, still pressing the gun hard into Tony. He looked at Gibbs with narrowed eyes. "Put down your weapon or he'll be singing with the angels."

"Drop yours or I'll drop you," Gibbs replied calmly, his deceptively quiet voice filled with deadly intent. Whoa. The Gibbs glare was in full force. Tony was glad it wasn't directed at him.

"I'd do it if I were you, Redding," Tony advised. "He's a sniper, you know. Can make a hit between the eyes at 400 yards. He can't miss from this range."

Redding hesitated, obviously calculating the odds. He wasn't sure if he could outdraw Gibbs, but he sure as hell wasn't going to prison. Really, he had nothing to lose at this point. He'd already lost everything, and he didn't care about living anymore. The only satisfaction he might get was taking this irritating agent with him.

Gibbs knew the moment Redding decided his course of action, his finger already tightening on the trigger of his Sig as he shouted, "Don't!"

Redding gave a small smile.

There was loud crack. Tony was flung back, his chair tipping over, his cry of pain echoing in the deserted warehouse. Then suddenly, there was a deafening silence.


	12. What's the Damage?

**What's the Damage?**

Gibbs stared in horror, frozen for just a moment, as both Redding and Tony crashed to the ground. And in that endless moment, he felt like his heart stopped, unwilling to believe what had just happened in front of him.

"Tony!" Gibbs yelled in alarm, running over to them. He kicked Redding's gun out of reach and gave a brief look at the madman, who lay quite dead, a rictus grin fixed on his face, the bullet hole small and black in the center of his forehead and a puddle of blood slowly growing underneath his head.

Gibbs dropped to his agent's side, eying him in concern. He blew out a breath of relief as a quick examination appeared to show that Tony had not been shot too. Gibbs realized that when Redding was shot, the momentum of his falling body had pushed Tony and the chair over. "Hey, are you with me?"

As Gibbs rapidly untied him, Tony groaned and stirred feebly. Cracking open his eyes, he looked blearily at Gibbs, who was critically appraising him. "DiNozzo!" Gibbs demanded sharply. "Answer me!"

"Y-yeah …" Tony grimaced as he slowly straightened his tingling arms and felt the blood returning to the stretched muscles. He struggled to sit up, but Gibbs gently pushed him down. "Stay there for a minute. Let me check you out."

"'m okay, Boss," Tony mumbled, recoiling with a hiss when Gibbs carefully pressed on his chest, his aching ribs protesting.

"Besides your ribs and your head, what hurts?" Gibbs asked.

"What doesn't?" Tony countered dazedly.

Gibbs frowned, staring at the painful bruising on Tony's face and chest and noting the slightly glazed look in his eyes and his carefully shallow breathing. Fortunately, it didn't look like anything was broken, but it was obvious the damage was severe. "C'mon, DiNozzo, looks like we've got a trip to Bethesda."

"Oh c'mon, Boss …" Tony slurred. He painfully pushed himself to a sitting position, and Gibbs steadied him as he swayed dizzily. "A little aspirin and some rest and I'll be good as new."

Right. Gibbs sighed. "DiNozzo, you've been beaten and have bruised and maybe cracked ribs. Probably a concussion, too, from the looks of it. You're going." Gibbs' laser blue eyes narrowed as he added, "Oh, and later on we're going to have a little chat about your provoking technique with Redding."

Damn. He'd hoped Gibbs hadn't heard his deliberate goading of Redding. Tony offered a weak smile. "Looking forward to it, Boss."

Gibbs carefully helped Tony stand and, sliding a supporting arm around him, slowly walked him out to the car. Once Tony was settled in the passenger seat, Gibbs called Morrow and gave a quick sit rep. Morrow assured him he would have a team out to the site quickly and asked that Gibbs let him know Tony's status once he'd seen a doctor. The next call was to Ducky, asking him to meet them at Bethesda and inform Abby that Tony had been found, battered but alive.

Gibbs snapped his cell shut and glanced over at his agent. Tony was drooped in the seat, swollen eyes closed, head tilted towards Gibbs, his arms carefully guarding his abdomen. Gibbs' lips tightened as he took in the severely bruised face. Shooting Redding and killing him instantly had been too easy a death for the psychopath. He wished he'd been able to make him suffer a bit for what he'd done to Tony.

"Hey, DiNozzo," Gibbs said abruptly as he started the car. "No sleeping until the doctor sees you."

"Ah geez, dad …" Tony moaned drowsily, his eyes fluttering. Gibbs' lips twitched in amusement.


	13. Epilogue

**Prologue**

Two days later, Gibbs entered his living room quietly, a fond smile lighting his face as he viewed the scene in front of him. Tony was once again safely ensconced here, Gibbs having insisted that he still needed some oversight due to the concussion. In truth, Gibbs just wanted him near, still a bit unsettled by the recent events. And now his Very Special Agent was sprawled comfortably on the sofa in soft sweat pants and a faded USMC jersey, sound asleep, earphones half-tilted off his ears. His bruises, though still vivid, were slowly beginning to fade, and he looked peaceful and contented. He had a pile of DVDs on the table next to his DVD player, which was currently playing a James Bond film. Gibbs shook his head in amusement, turning off the DVD player and carefully removing the earphones. Tony never awoke, merely nestling deeper into the sofa as Gibbs pulled a soft blanket over him and gently ruffled his hair.

Gibbs retreated to the kitchen to brew some coffee, recalling their discussion at the hospital just before Tony's discharge.

"Boss, I'm fine. I can be home by myself!" Tony protested. "I appreciate your offer to stay at your place, but –"

"The doctor said a few days of observation would still be needed to ensure no lasting effects from the concussion, and that's just what's gonna happen!" Gibbs returned firmly. "Your apartment isn't ready anyway. So you're coming home with me, unless you'd rather spend that time here …" He swept an arm to encompass the sterile hospital room.

Giving a heavy sigh, Tony settled back on his pillows with a woomph, wincing at the jarring to his still sore ribs and throbbing head. "Fine," he grumbled petulantly.

Gibbs merely nodded and sank into the chair beside the bed, taking a sip from his coffee cup as they awaited for Tony's release papers to be delivered.

After a few moments of pouting, Tony glanced over at his boss. He noted his still slightly worn, tired look, and realized he was the source of the strain Gibbs had been under for the past few days. He bit his lip guiltily. "Sorry, Boss," he said softly. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful. I appreciate your looking out for me and letting me stay with you. Not many bosses would do so much."

"I just don't want to have to chase you down again," Gibbs teased.

Tony grinned, then sobered and added quietly, "And thanks for saving my ass. As bad as it was, I wasn't worried. I didn't know how, but I knew you would find me."

Gibbs stilled, absurdly moved. "You knew I was coming, did you?" he murmured. Such deep and unquestioning trust was amazing and humbling.

"No doubts at all," Tony assured him, his gaze firmly fixed on Gibbs' face. "I knew you had my six. All I had to do was stall long enough for you to show up."

Gibbs' electric blue eyes rested on his agent, a small smile tilting his lips. "Always, Tony. You can count on that."

Tony grinned, a satisfied look on his face. "Yeah. A real team looks out for each other."

And that, Gibbs reflected, was why they worked so well together. True teamwork.

 _Author's Note: Thanks to all for your kind comments and support. I have a confession to make: I only intended to write the first chapter, never planning to continue the story. The bomb scenario in that first chapter was one that had been buzzing around in my head for a while, but I hadn't thought beyond that and was not going to write anything more. After receiving so many unexpected positive comments and people saying they couldn't wait for the next chapter, I realized I should probably really flesh out an entire story. It took me a while to figure out how I was going to continue and end this, but thank you for sticking with me. I hope you have enjoyed the journey!_


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